Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 10, 2026

The Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test (MSPT): An iPad-Based Disability Assessment Tool
11:35

The Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test (MSPT): An iPad-Based Disability Assessment Tool

Published on: June 30, 2014

MRI measures and their relations with clinical disability in relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive multiple

E Giugni1, C Pozzilli, S Bastianello

  • 1Department of Neurological Sciences, University La Sapienza of Rome.

Multiple Sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
|August 1, 1997
PubMed

Insights

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) lesion load helps differentiate multiple sclerosis types. In secondary progressive MS, infratentorial lesion volume on T2-weighted images is a key disability marker.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Radiology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease.
  • Clinical disability progression in MS is variable.
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is crucial for MS diagnosis and monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between MRI lesion burden and clinical disability in MS patients.
  • To determine if T1 or T2 weighted MRI lesion load better correlates with disability.
  • To differentiate between relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS) using MRI findings.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 85 patients with clinically definite MS (54 RRMS, 31 SPMS).
  • Correlations assessed between T1 and T2 weighted MRI lesion volumes (total and infratentorial) and disability measures (Expanded Disability Status Scale, ambulation index, functional systems).

Main Results:

  • T1 hypointense lesion load differentiated RRMS from SPMS.
  • Weak correlation between total lesion volume and disability in RRMS.
  • In SPMS, infratentorial lesion volume on T2-weighted images was the sole disability marker.
  • Cerebellar, brainstem, and mental impairment correlated with greater total lesion volume.

Conclusions:

  • MRI lesion assessment, particularly T1 hypointense lesions, aids in distinguishing MS subtypes.
  • Infratentorial lesion burden on T2-weighted MRI is a significant predictor of disability in SPMS.
  • Specific lesion locations (cerebellar, brainstem) are associated with particular functional impairments.

More Related Videos

A Method of Trigonometric Modelling of Seasonal Variation Demonstrated with Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Data10:46

A Method of Trigonometric Modelling of Seasonal Variation Demonstrated with Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Data

Published on: December 9, 2015

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Multiple Sclerosis at 7.0 Tesla08:51

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Multiple Sclerosis at 7.0 Tesla

Published on: February 19, 2021

Related Concept Videos

Magnetic Resonance Imaging01:24

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive medical imaging technique based on a phenomenon of nuclear physics discovered in the 1930s, in which matter exposed to magnetic fields and radio waves was found to emit radio signals. In 1970, a physician and researcher named Raymond Damadian noticed that malignant (cancerous) tissue gave off different signals than normal body tissue. He applied for a patent for the first MRI scanning device in clinical use by the early 1980s. The early MRI...
Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction01:19

Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder and a leading cause of neurological disability in young adults.EpidemiologyMS commonly begins between 20 and 40 years of age and is twice as common in women. Its exact cause remains unclear, but genetic susceptibility contributes, with higher risk in first-degree relatives and identical twins. A greater...